After graduating from residency, doctors have the option to go on for advanced specialty training, but in some specialties, they can go right to work. This group includes primary care physicians such as pediatricians, internists and family practitioners, as well as general surgeons, anesthesiologists and obstetrician / gynecologists. Starting salaries vary for these specialties.

With a base pay offer of $189,000 a year, on average, family practitioners and pediatricians are offered the lowest pay of all physicians, according to the medical search and consulting firm Merritt Hawkins & Associates’ 2012 Review of Physician Recruiting Incentives. An orthopedic surgeon, in comparison, earns $519,000. Doctors who go on to specialize make a considerable amount more. Cardiologists are high on the list, being guaranteed an average base salary of $512,000, according to the Merritt Hawkins data. The third highest-paying specialty is in Urology, with these physicians earning an average of $461,000, not including production bonuses or benefits.

Here are Doximity's (a social network for physicians) average U.S. Physician Salaries by specialty:

Note: Certain regions of the country may have to pay more to attract doctors, so physician salaries often reflect the level of competition more than the cost of living. Doctors in rural areas also tend to earn more.

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